For the first part of 2016, my iPhone camera lens had a crack in it. This was a huge bummer, because it prevented me from creating iPhone Portraits. It was the first time in about 3 years I wasn’t creating spontaneous portraits with my iPhone. As someone who usually doesn’t create an image without some sort of production, creating a spontaneous portrait on a whim is an incredibly satisfying and exciting experience.

Not having a fully functioning iPhone camera for several months was a pivotal time for this project. A little part of me was feeling burnt out and tired. In the first three years, I had photographed over 300 iPhone portraits of family, friends, and strangers. I wondered if I would ever regain my excitement for this project if I stopped pushing myself to create.

Eventually in the Spring, I did get a new iPhone. The 6s. As soon as I picked up the phone, I couldn’t wait to make an iPhone Portrait. What I began to realize is the time away from this project gave me new energy and excitement to explore and push myself further. My pace has slowed a bit for several reasons, but my excitement and focus has only grown. The above images are a handful of the recent portraits I have made this Summer and Fall. I will continue to share more about this project as I move forward.

Food Lifeline is a great organization that is fighting to end hunger in Western Washington. “Working with the food industry and its surpluses, we come up with creative solutions to stopping hunger, including redirecting good food from manufacturers, farmers, grocery stores and restaurants that might otherwise go to waste.” – Food Lifeline website

There are some pretty staggering numbers on food waste in America, so it was especially gratifying to work on a project like this that I know is going to have a positive impact. For example, did you know nearly 40% or 170 billion pounds of the available food supply at the retail and consumer levels in America will go to waste? – via Food Lifeline website

I worked on this ad campaign with the folks at Green Rubino, who I also shot The Recommendeuer with last year. Big shout out to my friends Joe Quatrone and Dennis Budell who I love collaborating with!

Here is a fun little post production fact I thought you might enjoy. I photographed each of the subjects bare arms and legs, and those assets were used to make the arms and legs on the apple and carrot. Gigantic Squid did a fantastic job retouching these, and you can’t help but feel happy that the apple and carrot found good homes.